


Meet Charles Xavier

by lachatblanche



Series: Dollhouse AU [39]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Consent Issues, M/M, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-27
Updated: 2013-08-26
Packaged: 2017-12-24 19:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/943503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lachatblanche/pseuds/lachatblanche
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles wakes up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

One minute Charles was sat in the Chair with his eyes closed tight in nervous anticipation and then the next thing he knew he was abruptly blinking into awareness, his mind suddenly bright and alert and _awake_ in a way that it hadn’t been mere moments ago.

_Adrenaline_ , Charles mentally diagnosed the sensation, feeling strangely removed from the world around him, _Adrenaline brought on by the fear of what is -_

Before he could finish the thought he was overtaken by a sudden wave of dizziness that had him blanching and he quickly shut his eyes, squeezing them tightly until the feeling subsided. Only when he was sure that the attack had passed did he open his eyes again, gazing up blankly at the white ceiling above him while trying to steady the rapid beating of his heart. He lay there for a while, taking deep, calm breaths and allowing his thoughts to drift. Then, feeling strangely cautious, he gripped the sides of the Chair and slowly levered himself upwards in his seat.

It was with some trepidation that he turned and began to look around him, although he couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause for his anxiety. Before he could take in much more than the wall in front of him, however, he caught sight of the figure that was standing at the side of the room and regarding him with a contemplative stare.

‘Oh,’ Charles stammered, blinking stupidly and finding himself strangely embarrassed. ‘I’m so sorry – did I fall asleep?’

The woman – Emma Frost, he recalled belatedly – did not speak straight away but continued to watch him with an odd, speculative sort of expression. After a moment she tilted her head to the side and regarded him evenly. ‘No, Charles,’ she said coolly, watching as he dazedly blinked his eyes. ‘You did not fall asleep.’

Charles frowned, his forehead creasing as he considered these words. He stared fixedly at Emma’s calm and patient face for a moment, feeling as if he was missing something important. Then his eyes suddenly widened and he jerked up in his seat and he stared at Frost in stunned disbelief.

‘You-’ he tried but he couldn’t get any further than that before his stomach suddenly twisted and he felt an unexpected surge of nausea.

Emma, whose eyes had narrowed at Charles’s sudden pallor, quickly stepped forward and took a firm hold of his wrist. ‘Calm yourself, Mr. Xavier,’ she said quietly, holding her fingers to his pulse with a gentleness that belied the strength of her grip. ‘There is nothing to be worried about. You need to keep calm.’

‘I-’ Charles gasped weakly, vaguely surprised to find himself breathing as if on the verge of a panic attack. ‘Is it – Has it been five years already?’

Emma’s brow furrowed and she pursed her lips. ‘No, not quite,’ she said after a moment, frowning down at her hand on Charles’s wrist before finally removing it. ‘You still have almost two years left on your contract, Mr. Xavier.’

Charles stared at her dumbly before dropping back into the Chair, feeling ever so slightly overwhelmed. Emma tactfully did not speak, instead allowing him time to recover by discreetly directing her gaze to somewhere on the other side of the wall, something that Charles was reluctantly grateful for. 

When at last he felt able to converse he pushed himself upright on the seat and, bravely suppressing the numerous emotions that threatened to swamp him, cleared his throat apprehensively.

‘I thought-’ there was a catch in his voice just then and he was forced to start over. ‘I thought that you didn’t wake people up in the middle of their – their time here. If that’s – if I still have time left on my contract then … why am I awake?’ His eyes suddenly widened and he reached forward and grasped hold of Emma’s arm. ‘Is it Raven?’ he asked urgently, gazing straight into Emma’s eyes and scrutinising her for the slightest glimpse of an answer. ‘Has something happened to her?’

Emma just stared down at the hand on her arm until Charles mastered himself and pulled away. Once her arm was free she relaxed but when she turned to look at Charles there was a solemn expression on her face.

‘You are right,’ she said in a calm tone, not moving her eyes away from Charles’s. ‘We do not usually wake our employees in the middle of their contracts. And no,’ she added before he could open his mouth again, ‘this has nothing to do with your sister.’ Emma paused before continuing on in a quieter voice. ‘What I am doing now is considered highly unorthodox even by Dollhouse standards and is probably unethical in about a hundred different ways but I am afraid that it is necessary. You are, after all, at the heart of this problem.’ Her mouth twisted into a wry smile as she glanced over at Charles. ‘You may not have realised it, Mr. Xavier, but you have been the source of many a trouble for us during these last few months.’

Charles swallowed. ‘Am I supposed to apologise for that?’ he asked tightly. His tone was forcedly pleasant and it did nothing to disguise the tension in his voice but he nevertheless met Emma’s gaze with an unfaltering one of his own.

Emma smiled. ‘Of course not,’ she said, shaking her head. Her smile then rapidly faded and her expression turned grim. ‘You do need to understand, however, that these troubles cannot be left unresolved. To do so would be disastrous. It is in everybody’s best interests that they be dealt with as quickly and as effectively as possible.’ She met Charles’s eyes once more and Charles was surprised to see the tiniest flicker of regret there. ‘It is for this reason that I found it necessary to awaken you before your time was up. I apologise for it – I really do. If there had been any other way to ensure a successful resolution to this matter then you can be sure that I would have taken it, but as it is, I-’

‘Miss Frost,’ Charles interrupted her, his voice unexpectedly gentle despite the combination of impatience and wary concern in his eyes. ‘Perhaps you should just tell me directly – why did you wake me? Why am I here?’

Emma paused and then grimaced. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘Of course.’ She frowned in thought for a moment before her face smoothened out to its usual blank perfection. When she next turned to address Charles, however, her expression was laden with deliberate graveness. ‘A lot has happened in the past year,’ she said quietly. ‘More, perhaps then I have time to tell you.’ 

Charles frowned but this time he did not interrupt.

Emma sighed. ‘Perhaps one day you will find out just what happened if you really care to know of it, but right now …’ She shook her head. ‘Right now we have precious little time and the less of that which is spent on idle chatter the better. But as for the question you asked me – the reason why you are here?’ She looked up into Charles’s serious blue eyes and her mouth twisted into a rueful little smile. ‘I am afraid that it is very simple. You see,’ her eyes fixed on him, cool and calm and unblinking. ‘I am in need of your help, Mr. Xavier.’

*****


	2. Chapter 2

Erik did not know what he had been imagining would happen when the door to his cell next opened but the very last thing that he’d expected was for Emma Frost to keep her word.

‘Charles,’ he breathed, almost unable to believe his eyes as the Active was ushered into the room ahead of Frost. After a moment Erik reluctantly pulled his eyes away from him and turned a wary gaze on Emma, who had taken just one tiny step into the room before pausing on the threshold.

Upon seeing that she had his attention Emma gave him a nod. ‘As you requested,’ she said dryly, inclining her head towards Charles before taking one step back out of the room. ‘You have twenty minutes.’ 

She then turned on her heel and the door was shut fast behind her.

Erik’s eyes immediately returned to Charles, eager to take in every inch of him now that they were alone, only to see that Charles was staring right back at him. And this time, Erik realised with a sudden thrill of almost fearful anticipation, there was a distinct intelligence behind those startling blue eyes, completely unlike the pleasant vagueness that he had seen in the Active’s gaze just that morning. He eyed Charles warily, his mouth suddenly dry, wondering what he should do … what he should _say_ –

And then Charles spoke.

‘Hello,’ he said awkwardly, giving Erik a brief, uncertain smile and raising his hand in a hesitant wave.

Erik stared. He followed the gesture with what was probably an undue degree of fascination but for some reason he found himself completely unable to respond. His mouth felt like it was glued shut and his heart was going a mile a minute, beating fast inside of his chest in a manner that might have been worrying if he wasn’t so focused on the man in front of him. All he could do was stare and so that was what he did, watching Charles in total silence.

For some reason Charles didn’t seem to find this very reassuring. ‘Er,’ he fidgeted, frowning when Erik’s gaze did not waver. ‘Mr. Lehnsherr?’ But there was no answer. He sighed at the distinct lack of a response and looked down at his feet, apparently confused by the Erik’s reserve. As the silence went on, however, he began to look slightly concerned and it was this expression of worry that finally brought Erik to his senses.

He blinked the dazed awe out of his eyes and then turned a cautious eye on the man in front of him. A significant part of him wanted to keep on staring or do something completely inappropriate like leap forward and seize Charles by the arms but the other steadier, more suspicious part of his brain knew that he ought not to do anything so foolish just yet. Not when he knew so much about the sly and deceitful ways of the Dollhouse and its manipulative, cold-hearted proprietor.

Steeling himself, Erik gritted his teeth and looked over at Charles with a grim and unforgiving expression. ‘Who are you?’ he demanded in a hoarse voice, consciously gripping his hands tightly at his sides so that he didn’t try to involuntarily reach out to the man in front of him.

Charles seemed to start at that and a look of almost incongruous embarrassment crossed his face, turning his cheeks slightly pink. Erik was, despite his best efforts, reluctantly charmed.

‘Sorry,’ Charles started forward apologetically before abruptly stopping and fidgeting. ‘I probably ought to have started by introducing myself. I just thought-’ He quickly shook his head and held out his hand instead. ‘I’m Charles Xavier. Professor Charles Xavier, really – except maybe not now, I suppose … But Charles. Call me Charles.’

Erik stared at the pale hand that was being offered to him before slowly reaching out and grasping it, staring as the two of them shook hands.

‘I – I’m Erik,’ he said after a moment, still feeling blindsided. ‘Erik Lehnsherr. I-’ He shook his head. He had to stay on track. He couldn’t allow himself to be lured into a false sense of security – which, he was quickly realising, was all too easy around Charles. He needed to stay focused and not get distracted. He needed to know that this was Charles – the _real_ Charles – and not just some amalgamation of numerous personalities that had been cooked up in the Programming Room of the Dollhouse for his benefit. ‘What’s the name of your sister?’ he demanded abruptly, catching Charles by surprise.

‘My sister?’ Charles’s eyes were wide and he stared at Erik. ‘What’s my sister got to do with this? Raven,’ he then answered, eyeing Erik warily, ‘Her name is Raven. Raven Darkholme.’

Erik nodded thoughtfully but his mind was racing. That question had been far too simple. The Dollhouse had already known about Raven and Charles’s relationship and it would have been all too easy for them to input that information into whatever Personality they might have uploaded into Charles’s brain. He had to try something harder … something that no one at the Dollhouse would have known …

‘Raven,’ he found himself barking out, determinedly avoiding the look of wide-eyed surprise that Charles was aiming at him. ‘How does she like her tea?’ 

Charles blinked. ‘Her _tea_?’ he looked baffled and Erik suppressed an internal wince at how ridiculous he probably looked to Charles right now. ‘Her – but Raven doesn’t even like tea! She likes one of those ridiculous frothy coffee drinks with too much sugar in them. Why are you asking me this?’

Erik gritted his teeth. The answer had been correct but that might have been just a fluke. He needed another question. Just one more question.

‘There was something that you used to read to her when she was younger,’ he said quietly, watching Charles with careful eyes. ‘A book that you used to read out loud to her in the evenings when the two of you were alone. What is it?’ Raven had told him this once in passing and he had for some reason treasured this small detail, fondly imagining it within his head and smiling over it when no one could see him. The answer to his question was, he felt, something that no Programmer could have known to include in their work and, being an intimate memory, it was nothing that could have slipped out in casual conversation either. He smiled grimly. He would soon find out once and for all whether the person in front of him was really Charles Xavier or whether it was merely a rough facsimile.

Charles seemed to have caught on to this and he was now looking at Erik with inquisitive eyes.

‘Is this some sort of test?’ he asked curiously, his expression considering. ‘A way of checking that it’s really me in here and not somebody else?’ He didn’t wait for an answer but instead hummed thoughtfully to himself. ‘But then if it were, your checking my responses would depend upon your already knowing the answers to your questions which implies some sort of relationship between you and I …’ He paused then and Erik felt his heart pit-patter in his chest as Charles’s blue eyes met his. ‘Which means … do you know my sister?’

Erik swallowed. ‘Answer my question,’ he persisted unwaveringly before adding a small, quiet, ‘Please.’

The ‘please’ seemed to convince Charles for his expression softened and he let out a sigh.

‘ _The Once and Future King_ ,’ he said quietly, his hands pressed deep inside his pockets as he looked straight at Erik. ‘That’s the book that I used to read to Raven when we were younger. That’s the book I always chose.’ He smiled then, his lips twitching wryly. ‘Did I pass the test?’

Erik felt himself sink down in his seat, suddenly feeling floored.

‘Yes,’ he muttered dumbly, lifting his eyes to Charles and finding himself unable to look away. ‘Top marks.’

Charles chuckled at that before a wary, almost hesitant expression crossed his face once more.

‘May I?’ he asked, indicating the chair opposite Erik’s on the other side of the table.

Erik at once leapt to his feet. ‘Oh,’ he said, feeling rather dull and stupid. ‘Yes. Of course.’

Charles gave him a brief smile and quickly sat down. After a moment’s hesitation, Erik followed suit.

‘So,’ Charles said after a moment.

Erik opened his mouth but nothing came out. His mind was blank. He could almost laugh at the sheer stupidity of it – after all the time he had waited and after all the things that he had ever imagined that he would say once he was face to face with Charles Xavier, naturally he went and got tongue-tied at the very first opportunity.

Charles seemed to take pity on him for he smiled kindly and attempted to start the conversation. ‘Miss Frost told me about you,’ he said cautiously, looking down at his hands even as Erik went completely still. ‘She said – she said that you have been looking for me?’

Erik swallowed and gave him a quick nod. ‘Yes,’ he said shortly before realising that a monosyllabic response was perhaps not the best way to further conversation. ‘I’ve been on the trail of the Dollhouse for a long while.’ He paused. ‘I picked up your trail shortly before I met Raven.’

Charles’s face immediately clouded over with longing and affection and Erik felt his heart clench painfully within his chest at the sight.

‘Raven,’ Charles breathed wistfully, his expression inexplicably sad. ‘How is she? Is she all right?’

Erik gave Charles a sharp glance. The fact that he was asking was evidence that Emma had been less than forthcoming when telling Charles about that part of the story. He didn’t know why he was so surprised – he had always known that Frost was a cold, manipulative piece of work.

‘Raven -’ he started grimly but before he had gone much further than her name he made the mistake of looking into Charles’s eager blue eyes. His resolve almost immediately crumbled. ‘Raven’s fine,’ he finished lamely, forcing himself to smile in order to allay Charles’s suspicions. ‘She’s angry and impatient but she’s otherwise fine.’

Charles smiled at that and finally leaned back in his seat, looking relieved. ‘I’m glad,’ he said after a moment. ‘I was so very worried … She doesn’t take things well, you know. She’s passionate and volatile and once she gets an idea in her head …’ He sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly, the brightness in his eyes suddenly dimming. ‘I can’t imagine how angry she must have been after she found out what I had done,’ he said quietly, looking down at his hands. ‘She must have really hated me for that. Probably still does.’

‘She doesn’t hate you,’ Erik hastened to assure him before pausing to choose his words carefully. ‘She’s angry, yes, and it’s possible that you’re going to have to spend a very long time making it up to her but don’t think for a second that she wants anything more than for you to be safe and at home with her.’ _As do I_ , a small and pathetic part of him whispered inside his head.

Charles was looking at him gratefully. ‘Thank you,’ he said, looking at Erik with an expression full of earnestness and innocent gratitude. ‘Thank you – for everything. For taking care of Raven and trying to find me – I honest cannot thank you enough.’

Erik felt his cheeks heat up in a way that had not happened since his mother had been alive. ‘It’s nothing,’ he said gruffly as he stared down at his hands, unable to meet Charles’s eyes. ‘It’s – I mean, it’s my job, so I can’t exactly say that I went completely out of my way …’

But Charles was still regarding him with a fond, gentle smile. ‘You have been very kind to me,’ he said warmly, reaching across the table and putting his hand over Erik’s, effectively silencing Erik for a few moments as he marvelled at the feeling of Charles’s hand over his own, ‘And you should never doubt that I will be forever grateful to you for everything that you have done both for me and for my sister …’ He paused then and bit his lip before continuing. ‘But I am afraid that I have to ask even more from you, my friend.’

Erik immediately straightened up in his seat. ‘What do you need me to do?’ he asked at once, his tone resolute.

Charles looked at him for a moment before grimacing and looking down at his lap. When he looked up again his expression was full of kindness and understanding and he squeezed Erik’s hand with his own.

‘Erik,’ he said gently, and Erik could not help but feel thrilled at hearing his own name on Charles’s lips, ‘Erik, I know that this will be difficult for you but I need you to do as I ask.’ He paused and took a deep breath. ‘Erik, I need you to give up your crusade against the Dollhouse and forget about me.’

Erik froze. ‘No,’ he said.

‘Erik-’ Charles began but Erik was already speaking.

‘No,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘No, this isn’t right. You – you are not Charles. Not really. Frost must have done something – she must have altered your brain somehow. Otherwise you wouldn’t ask me this. I _know_ you wouldn’t ask me this.’

Charles was watching him with a sad expression on his face. ‘How would you know that, Erik?’ he asked him patiently.

Erik shook his head. ‘I would just know,’ he said decisively, full of self-belief.

Charles stared at him, his gaze troubled. ‘But my friend,’ he said gently, leaning forward. ‘You do not _know_ me.’

Erik felt an awkward lump appear in his throat but he forcefully swallowed it down and shook his head, deliberately avoiding Charles’s eyes. 

‘I do,’ he said firmly. ‘I do know you. I know it sounds crazy-’ here he risked a quick glance up into Charles’s eyes before looking away again, ‘but I _know_ you. Charles – I feel like I’ve known you all my life.’

He grimaced when he saw that, far from reassuring Charles, this only seemed to pain him further.

‘Erik, I-’

‘Don’t ask this of me, Charles,’ Erik interrupted him, his tone almost pleading. ‘I just – I don’t understand why you _would_ ask this of me!’

Charles sighed and, pulling back the hand that had been holding Erik’s, rubbed his forehead tiredly. ‘I know it’s hard to understand,’ he said slowly, frowning down at the table, ‘Believe me, it’s not exactly easy to keep it straight in my mind either. But please trust me when I say that I _do_ have my reasons for wanting you to do as I have asked.’

‘And what are these reasons?’ Erik demanded, trying his best to tamp down the sense of bitterness and betrayal that he knew he had no right to be feeling.

Charles looked up and met Erik’s eyes with a firm and serious gaze. ‘I made an agreement, Erik,’ he said quietly, his expression sad but calm. ‘And I signed a contract – a legally binding contract that I signed of my own free will.’

‘Bullshit,’ Erik snarled, but Charles calmly talked over him. 

‘I have less than two years left on my contract,’ he said evenly, remaining cool and unflinching even with Erik’s glare focused on him. ‘That’s less than two years before I can escape this place without any repercussions.’

‘But surely-’ Erik began, frustrated, before Charles cut him off.

‘I just don’t want you to pin your hopes on me,’ he said gently, looking at Erik with sad eyes. ‘Nor do I want to get my hopes up either. Erik – I understand what you are doing and I applaud it, I truly do, but you must understand – they will not let you continue as you are. You are in _danger_ , Erik. For both your sake as well as mine – _please_ let this go.’ 

Erik shook his head. ‘No,’ he said stubbornly, refusing to back down. ‘No, I can’t do that. I cannot allow you to continue like this, Charles. I can’t.’

Charles let out a noise of frustration at that. ‘But Erik,’ he said tiredly, ‘I _want_ to continue with it.’ He caught the look of stunned incomprehension on Erik’s face and he smiled sadly. ‘It’s not all that bad, you know,’ he said softly, looking at Erik as if he were the one deserving of sympathy. ‘I have absolutely no recollection of anything that has happened in the last three years. For me it seemed that I had only closed my eyes for a second before I was woken up again and told that three years had passed.’ He shook his head in awe. ‘I wouldn’t have thought it possible if I hadn’t experienced it myself. But honestly, Erik,’ he voice was gentle, ‘it’s really not as bad as you would think.’

Erik was unmoved. ‘I don’t care,’ he said obstinately, shaking his head. ‘It doesn’t matter if you don’t remember any of it or if you think only a second has passed – it’s still not right. And I know you say that you signed the contract of your own free will, Charles, but Raven _told_ me about what happened. Charles – that was _coercion_. You were under _duress_ , for fuck’s sake!’ He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. ‘There is nothing _legal_ about that fucking contract and you know that as well as I do!’

Charles turned his face away, his expression tight and unhappy. When he spoke again his voice was subdued. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said quietly, still not looking at Erik. ‘I still want to complete my time here without any trouble or interference. I just want to be left alone so that I can-’

‘Why are you even saying this?’ Erik demanded angrily, unwilling to hear Charles complete that sentence. ‘You can’t honestly want this! I don’t understand how _anyone_ can actually-’

‘I’m doing this for Raven, all right?’ Charles snapped, finally losing his temper and glaring at Erik with narrowed eyes. He caught himself after a moment and the look of anger was immediately replaced with an expression of bone-deep weariness. ‘I apologise,’ he said tiredly, running a hand over his face. ‘It’s just …’ he let out a ragged breath and looked at Erik with wide eyes as if pleading with him to understand. ‘I made this bargain for a reason and that reason is still as strong today as it was three years ago. I’m doing this so that Raven doesn’t have to, so that she can be out there and live a normal life and just – just _be_.’ He sighed and ran his hands through his hair before once more turning to Erik, looking resigned. ‘It’s not that I don’t _want_ to leave here – it’s just that I _can’t_. Not in good conscience, at any rate.’ He smiled wryly. ‘Miss Frost was kind enough to remind me that should I fail to complete the rest of my contract for any reason whatsoever then the remainder of my time will immediately be passed back onto Raven – which is, of course, something that I simply cannot allow.’

Erik felt himself struggling to breathe. ‘But – we can-’ he started but Charles was already shaking his head.

‘No, Erik,’ he said kindly. ‘I’m afraid that we couldn’t.’

At that Erik roughly pushed back the hair on his forehead and gripped the side of the desk angrily. ‘No,’ he said, agitated. ‘No, I won’t let you do this – you can’t. I know why you think you must, but – _Charles_ – you just _can’t_.’

Charles was watching Erik with a very sad expression on his face although he tried to hide his distress the moment that Erik looked back up at him.

‘Erik-’ he said but Erik interrupted him.

‘No.’

‘Erik, if you would just listen to me-’

‘I can’t let you do this, Charles-’

‘ _Erik!_ ’ 

Erik blinked at the forcefulness of Charles’s tone and immediately shut his mouth, obedient.

Charles sighed when Erik halted in his protests and, after a moment’s hesitation, took in a long, deep breath. ‘I’m sorry, Erik,’ he said quietly, shaking his head. ‘I truly am. Especially as I am starting to understand just how much I meant – how much I still _mean_ – to you.’ He paused. ‘But Erik,’ he said gently, ‘you have to remember – I don’t actually _know_ you. To me you are a stranger – a man that I met less than ten minutes ago and of whom I know precious little about. Please don’t think me overly rude or harsh, but I am only being truthful when I say that I’m afraid that what you want or desire is really of very little consequence to me. I have only one person in the world that I truly care about in my life and that is Raven.’ He swallowed painfully. ‘She is my number one priority and that is not something that will ever change. If I had to make the same deal all over again, then you can be sure that I would do it in a heartbeat.’ He paused and smiled grimly. ‘For her, I would do anything.’

Erik didn’t have a response to that but Charles was gazing at him with such earnestness that he felt almost guilty for the bitter despair that was currently brewing in his heart. 

‘You do understand, don’t you?’ Charles asked gently, looking at Erik with worried eyes. ‘About why I have to do this? About why I am asking _you_ to do this?’

Erik’s mouth twisted sullenly and ducked his head, unable to meet Charles’s eyes. ‘Yes,’ he admitted, looking down at the table and refusing to glance up. ‘I understand. And I want you to know-’ he hesitated for a moment before soldiering on, determined that Charles should hear it, ‘What you are doing now, for Raven – I want you to know that I would do the same for you.’

Charles’s face fell at that and he turned away, looking pained. ‘Erik …’ he murmured, his expression sad.

‘No,’ Erik said immediately, lifting his head and glaring at Charles. ‘No,’ he said tightly, gritting his teeth. ‘I don’t want to hear you say it. You think I don’t know how this must sound? Just – don’t say anything.’

Charles’s mouth twisted but after a moment he let out a sigh and nodded. ‘Very well,’ he said wearily. ‘I won’t. I very much doubt that I’d be able to sway your mind anyway. Something tells me that you can be quite stubborn when you want to …’ He gave Erik a sudden smile. ‘In fact, I shudder to imagine what you and Raven were like when you argued. Your quarrels must have been the stuff of legends – I’m almost glad that I missed them.’

That startled a huff of laughter out of Erik who glanced up at Charles in surprise. ‘I don’t know about that,’ he said wryly, the corner of his mouth pulling upwards almost in spite of himself. ‘Raven’s a force of nature – I doubt that even I could match her obstinacy when she got herself going.’

‘Yes,’ Charles was smiling widely now and the waves of affection that were rolling off him were almost tangible. ‘She could be rather tenacious couldn’t she?’ he asked fondly. ‘I generally found that the best policy on such occasions was to keep my mouth shut and agree with everything she said.’

Erik raised an eyebrow. ‘I found yelling at her to get the hell out of my apartment pretty effective, myself,’ he drawled.

Charles laughed at that and Erik found himself longingly tracing the curve of Charles’s jaw with his eyes before he realised what he was doing.

‘Yeah,’ he coughed, hastily carrying on to cover up his embarrassment and the sudden dryness in his mouth. ‘Raven could be difficult but then so could I. We got on well despite that – or probably because of it.’ He glanced down at his hands, feeling yet another pang at the thought of Raven on the run again, once more alone and friendless. ‘She was my friend,’ he said firmly, gritting his teeth against the wave of anger that threatened to overwhelm him at the thought of Frost’s trickery. ‘Whatever her flaws were, she was my friend.’

Charles was watching him carefully but he nodded when Erik met his eyes.

There was silence for a moment in which neither of them spoke.

‘Erik?’ Charles asked after a minute.

‘Yes?’

‘Why do you keep talking about my sister in the past tense?’

Erik froze. He quickly covered it up by raising his eyebrow. ‘Do I?’ he asked casually. ‘I didn’t realise. I was probably just following your lead.’ As Charles still didn’t look entirely convinced he carried on, allowing his expression to darken slightly. ‘Or maybe it’s just that I realise that I’m probably not going to get out of here any time soon …’

That made Charles snap out of whatever thoughts of suspicion that he may have been harbouring.

‘Oh no,’ he said, sitting up and looking slightly upset. ‘I’m sure that’s not true. Erik – you mustn’t think like that. You are getting out of here, I know you are.’ At Erik’s sceptical look he pushed forward, leaning on the table and gazing at Erik with earnest eyes. ‘You _will_ , Erik, I know it. Miss Frost _promised_.’

Erik let out a harsh laugh at that. ‘Oh, she _promised_ , did she?’ he asked sarcastically, allowing his mouth to twist into a sneer. ‘Then she _must_ have meant it. Heaven forbid that she _lied_.’

Charles retreated from the table at that and Erik immediately felt contrite as he saw the upset expression on his face.

‘She wouldn’t do that,’ Charles said, shaking his head. ‘Erik, she wouldn’t. I – I know that you have no reason to trust her but I honestly do believe that she will do as she says. She told me that she would free you and she promised you the same … I just don’t think that she would lie. Not about something like that.’

Erik scowled and glanced away. ‘You’re too trusting,’ he said, gritting his teeth.

Charles let out a snort. ‘You mean gullible,’ he said flatly and Erik blinked in surprise to see the wry expression on Charles’s face. ‘Honestly, Erik, I wasn’t born yesterday. I know that people don’t always tell the truth and I know that a lot of them can’t be trusted. However,’ here he paused as if in an attempt to choose his words carefully, ‘I do genuinely believe that Miss Frost was telling the truth – at least on this occasion.’ At Erik’s disbelieving look Charles rolled his eyes and sighed. ‘What possible reason could she have to lie?’

Erik could think of a fair few reasons but he decided that he would rather not distress Charles by airing them.

‘What makes you so sure of her?’ he asked instead, feeling curious about Charles’s defence of Frost. ‘What did she say to you anyway?’

Charles made a face at that. ‘Not very much,’ he admitted, frowning slightly. ‘Just a few details about what was going on and a – er – reiteration of the terms of my contract.’ He shrugged. ‘We didn’t speak for very long, but – I just don’t think she would lie. Not about this. I can’t explain it but – I just don’t think she would feel the need to stoop to that.’

Erik grudgingly admitted that Charles’s assertion was not entirely without merit. Emma was a woman who was secure enough in herself and her power to forgo the need to lie. She was cold and calculating, yes, but her weapons of choice were deals and contracts and her shield was her placid forthrightness; she would happily lay all the cards down on the table for you in a neat and orderly manner and then sit back and watch as you yourself made the choice to slit your own throat.

‘Fine,’ Erik said, abruptly deciding that he didn’t want to spend the rest of his precious minutes with Charles talking about Emma Frost of all people. ‘Whatever you say. It’s not like it actually matters – I hardly think that my opinion is going to change the way this ends.’ Catching Charles’s pained look he swiftly decided to move on. ‘Tell me about yourself,’ he said instead, unconsciously reaching out across the table to grasp Charles’s hands. ‘Talk to me about something.’

Charles looked unsure. ‘What would you like me to say?’ he asked weakly, eyeing the sight of Erik’s large hands curled over his own midway across the table.

‘Anything,’ Erik said at once, squeezing Charles’s hands. ‘Just anything – whatever you like. Your favourite colour, your very first memory … whatever you are thinking about now. Anything.’

Charles gave him an odd look but after a while he sighed and finally gave in. ‘Okay,’ he said cautiously, biting his lip in concentration and frowning down at his fingers. ‘I suppose I can tell you about myself. Although,’ his blue eyes met Erik’s as he let out a humourless chuckle, ‘you will have to forgive me if the information is a few years out of date.’

Erik didn’t return the smile but he squeezed Charles’s fingers in his. Charles glanced down at their joined hands at that, as if surprised all over again to see his hands caught between Erik’s. Shaking himself, he turned his thoughts once again to what he ought to say. He licked his lips, causing Erik’s thoughts to stray for a moment, before beginning.

‘I suppose I should start with my family,’ he said quietly, and then for the next fifteen minutes Erik said next to nothing as he sat listening, enraptured by the sound of Charles’s voice and soaking up each and every word with the hunger of a starving man. His heart hurt each time Raven was referred to – which was very often, he found; she seemed to be the focal point at which Charles’s whole life had revolved – and each smile and quirk of the lips had him yearning to reach out to trace the line of Charles’s jaw – to just _touch_ him so that he could make sure that this was _real_ and not just another one of his hundred different dreams and imaginings.

It was only later that Erik realised that he had been given a lot more then twenty minutes with Charles but at the time the only thing he felt at Emma’s return to the room was a mixture anger and despair.

‘Time’s up boys,’ Emma said softly, standing by the doorway and watching the two of them with an unreadable expression on her face. Charles’s lips were still parted from where he had stopped mid-word at Emma’s arrival but he closed them at that, his mouth pursed slightly. At a look from Emma, however, his shoulders slumped and he finally turned back to Erik with a wry smile.

‘It looks like my time is up,’ he said in a quiet voice, grimacing slightly. He slowly got to his feet and Erik found himself mirroring the action, rising up almost helplessly with him as if he were magnetised to Charles’s body.

Charles looked somewhat at a loss at what to do with himself just then. He looked at Emma, his expression lost, and then back to Erik. He then sighed and pushed his hair back from his forehead and, after a moment’s hesitation, stuck his hand out towards Erik. ‘Erik,’ he said formally, ‘it’s been a pleasure. I -’ he paused, biting his lip, suddenly young and vulnerable once more. ‘You _will_ do as I asked you to, yes? Forget about me, I mean? You will, won’t you?’

Erik couldn’t answer.

‘Erik!’ Charles’s voice was almost pleading now and Erik took a moment to marvel at how earnest Charles was about a man that he had only just met and whom he had spent no more than half an hour with. It was almost enough to make him cave.

Almost.

‘I-’ he met Charles’s eyes for a moment before looking away, scowling. ‘I will think about it.’

In the background he could make out the sceptical expression on Emma’s face but Charles looked nothing but relieved.

‘Thank you,’ he said fervently, reaching out to clasp Erik’s hand in both of his as if Erik was doing him a favour just by considering it. ‘Thank you, Erik, I mean it. And – please go on being a friend to Raven, won’t you?’

Erik swallowed. ‘Always,’ he said out loud, meeting Charles’s eyes unwaveringly. ‘I will always be her friend.’

Charles shoulders slumped at that but this time it was out of relief. ‘Good,’ he said, smiling weakly. ‘That – that’s good. At least now she will have someone looking out for her.’

His two hands then released Erik’s one and Erik immediately felt adrift, lost without the touch of Charles’s hand on his.

‘Goodbye, Erik,’ Charles said, taking a step backwards but never moving his eyes away from Erik’s. ‘Please don’t ever search for me again.’

Erik just stared after him mutely.

Emma seemed to take this as her cue to intervene for she uncrossed her arms and stepped forward away from the wall, immediately taking charge.

‘Charles, if you will wait in the room next to this one I will have someone come to escort you back,’ she said quietly.

Charles momentarily hesitated before nodding uneasily. He then glanced over at Erik for a moment before smiling slightly. 

‘Goodbye, Erik,’ he repeated softly before giving him one final nod and turning around.

And just like that he walked out of the room and out of Erik’s life.

Emma waited until the door had swung shut behind him before finally turning to face Erik. ‘Well?’ she asked, arching an eyebrow.

Erik was silent for a moment. Then:

‘Yes,’ his voice was quiet as he gazed off into the distance, ‘Yes, I will stay. I will be Charles’s Handler.’

Emma smiled. ‘Good thing that I brought your contract along, then,’ she said and promptly placed a small sheaf of papers down on the desk. ‘We might as well make it official, after all.’

Erik stared at the document blankly.

Emma watched him for a moment and then let out a sigh. ‘Read over it,’ she said in a voice that was almost gentle. ‘Take your time.’ She paused. ‘I need a word with Charles anyway.’

And with that she swept out of the room, leaving Erik staring at a sheaf of crisp white paper and feeling more utterly alone than he had ever felt in his entire life.


End file.
